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review
£118.00
VERDICT:
Excellent fabric choice backed up by a great fit and loads of comfort
Weight:
172g
Contact:
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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The ashmei Men's Classic Cycle Jersey takes a traditional design and marries it with the latest high-tech fabric to create an excellent top, especially when the temperature ramps up. Brilliantly comfortable and highly breathable, it really has become one of my favourites.
- Pros: Great fabric choice for summer riding; form-fitting shape
- Cons: That technology will cost you
For the Classic jersey ashmei uses a blend of merino wool (65%) and a polyester (35%) from a company called 37.5 Technology. According to its website, the 37.5 polyester 'helps keeps your body at the ideal core temperature of 37.5°C and helps keep the microclimate next to your skin at the ideal relative humidity of 37.5%.' Apparently when you are hot, patented active particles embedded in the material remove sweat in the vapour stage before liquid sweat forms, cooling you down. If you are cold, it traps the heat you generate to warm you up.
> Find your nearest dealer here
Before I'd done any research to write this review I'd been on a fair few long rides in the Classic in some very warm conditions, and each time I was amazed at how cool I remained even when climbing, and that the jersey was just damp when I finished the ride rather than being soaked in sweat.
It's hardly a clinical trial I'll admit, but I'd say there is definitely something in the claims.
The fabric blend also creates a very soft material which feels great against the skin, and even though the jersey has quite a form-fitting cut it doesn't feel restrictive anywhere.
For such a close cut the ashmei is still quite flattering if you aren't blessed with a racer's physique. The rear has plenty of drop to keep your lower back covered even when you are crouched low in the drops, while the front is arched high towards the centre to stop bunching of the fabric at the stomach.
The full length zip runs smoothly and it's good to see a flap to stop it irritating the neck because of the tall collar.
At the rear the 'classic' theme continues with three traditional pockets spread across the lower back. The way they have been stitched keeps them quite taut so carrying heavier items like a phone or multi-tool doesn't make them sag down too much.
For your valuables there is also a zipped fourth pocket.
The Classic is available in six colours and six sizes, and the fabric offers UPF 50+ sun protection.
Technological fabrics don't necessarily come cheap, which goes some way to explaining the Classic's £118 price tag. It is a quality garment, too, being very well made with a well-thought-out design and clean, tidy stitching throughout.
The excellent PEdAL ED Odyssey jersey offers similar qualities and that will set you back £125, although the traditional looking Wearwell Cycle Company Revival jersey is available for £98.
> Buyer's Guide: 22 of the best summer cycling jerseys
Both of these show that although the ashmei might be pricey, it's not outrageously so, and to my mind it's not bad value for money. Plus, the natural bacteria-killing properties of merino wool mean you can wear this jersey day in day out throughout the warmest days of the summer without fear of it smelling after a long ride, so it's going to get loads of use.
Verdict
Excellent fabric choice backed up by a great fit and loads of comfort
road.cc test report
Make and model: ashmei Mens Classic Cycle Jersey
Size tested: Medium
Tell us what the product is for
It's a traditional styled race jersey with a merino/polyester mix designed to regulate body temperature.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Ashmei lists these details:
Highly breathable fabric
Three rear stuff pockets with pump loop
Alcantara zip guard
Tech
Blended MERINO + CARBON with 37.5® Technology fabric
Super lightweight, high performance – 167g
YKK® Reverse Coil #3 Zipper with enlarged zip pull
Sun protection of UPF 50+
Care
65% Merino Wool, 35% 37.5® Polyester
Cool wash at 30C
Wash dark colours separately
Do not use fabric softeners
Do not tumble dry
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
10/10
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
Rate the product for fit:
9/10
Great close fit without being skin tight.
Rate the product for sizing:
9/10
The sizing is exactly as ashmei's guide says it should be.
Rate the product for weight:
8/10
Rate the product for comfort:
9/10
Rate the product for value:
5/10
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
Following ashmei's instructions I have had no issues with getting the jersey clean or with it shrinking.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
It does everything you need for a jersey that is going to be worn in very warm weather.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Brilliant fabric choice.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Nothing really stands out.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
It's up there with some of the most expensive but justified I'd say.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
There is very little to fault here with the ashmei Classic jersey. It's a simple design but every aspect has been cleverly thought out.
About the tester
Age: 40
I usually ride: This month's test bike My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed
Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than a thousand pieces of kit, and hundreds of bikes.
With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist, draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market. A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces.
He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999, primarily for fitness, but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results. These days though riding is more about escapism, keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job.
Latest Comments
- Simon E 1 sec ago
It's the BBC. Institutionally anti-cyclist. Did you expect any different?
- chrisonabike 8 min 42 sec ago
Genuine question - what is the baseline? As in - what do transport secretaries get done on average in - say - 6 months? (Noting that the bigger...
- Saracen888 31 min 36 sec ago
That's a great price. Just bear in mind Import duty and handling charges will be applied pre delivery.
- Paul J 33 min 20 sec ago
It's a standard technique. See my longer comment....
- NotNigel 1 hour 4 min ago
My word, the comments don't get any better the further back in time the articles are.
- bikes 1 hour 17 min ago
It happens so often that people need to drive expecting it to happen. People walk / jog across the road without looking all the time, particularly...
- Griff500 1 hour 53 min ago
Yep, I appreciate your problem. I wouldn't buy a bike without at least sitting on the same frame configuration on a trainer in the shop, something...
- Secret_squirrel 3 hours 7 min ago
One less thing to clutter up your jersey pockets no? Though difficult to retrieve in a hurry...
- David9694 3 hours 59 min ago
was it one of these? https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202411246675771?
- lesterama 4 hours 16 min ago
Houchen is utterly corrupt and morally bankrupt, as readers of Private Eye know all too well.
Add new comment
10 comments
I think the design remit was "make something really bland and yet eye-wateringly expensive, don't worry about justifying the cost as we can get the marketing boys to come up with something..."
I don't understand why these kind of comments always appear about the cost of things? If you can't/don't want to afford it why does it bother you? There are plenty of cheap options available.
Precisely because we can't/don't want to afford it. C'mon, you have to admit it is 'Eye Wateringly Expensive' (TM).
Is it? Costs less than a shirt for the office and you get a lot more wears out of a cycle jersey before it requires replacing.
[/quote]
Is it? Costs less than a shirt for the office and you get a lot more wears out of a cycle jersey before it requires replacing.
[/quote]
.....Wow! Where do you buy your work shirts?
Is it? Costs less than a shirt for the office and you get a lot more wears out of a cycle jersey before it requires replacing.
[/quote]
.....Wow! Where do you buy your work shirts?
[/quote]
Gieves and Hawkes, although I have to get them taken in to fit as I have a rather fat neck to waist ratio!
Ah, well OK then...
You do understand that's not entirely representative of the Man on the Clapham Omnibus...
Isn't that the point though? There are plenty of clothing options targeted at different audiences. Complaining about the price of one would only really make sense if it was the only available option. Given the huge range of cycle clothing available at all price points it just seems odd that whenever something is priced over £100 it's called out as being too expensive.. the market will decide that itself. Fair enough ask for cheaper products to be reviewed but there are many readers who like to know if stretching to something at the top end of their budget is worth it. As a cycling is a hobby it follows that treating oneself to something every now and again is fairly normal for the vast majority.
Though I'm not likely to buy at that sort of price anyway, the 100% wrong pseudo-science is a complete confirmation of a decision not to buy. Sweat comes out as liquid, the evaporation is key to cooling you down. Latent heat of vaporisation anyone?
Marketing people trying to argue premiumness & qualityness in vain attempt to overcome basic ignorance...
"patented active particles embedded in the material remove sweat in the vapour stage before liquid sweat forms".
sounds very similar to Boswellox if you ask me. I bet it was invented by the same scientist who writes the L'Oreal ads.